Nearly 1.8 billion adults at risk of diseases from not doing enough physical activity

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | New data by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that nearly one third (31%) of adults worldwide, accounting for about 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.

This represents an increasing trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.

According to WHO, levels of inactivity are projected to further rise to 35% by 2030, and yet the world is currently off track from meeting the global target to reduce physical inactivity by 2030.

Scientists recommend that adults should have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week. Physical inactivity puts adults at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers such as breast and colon.

This study was undertaken by researchers from WHO and published in The Lancet Global Health journal on Wednesday.

Commenting about the findings, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said they highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer, heart disease and improve mental well-being through increased physical activity.

The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), with levels of inactivity in other regions ranging from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.

Of concern, disparities remain between gender and age. Physical inactivity is still more common among women globally compared with men, with inactivity rates of 34% compared to 29%. In some countries, this difference is as much as 20 percentage points. Additionally, people over 60 are less active than other adults, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity for older adults.

On his part, Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO said there is a need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors like age, environment, and cultural background.

“By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive,” he said.

However, despite the worrying results, there are some signs of improvement in some countries. The study showed that almost half of the world’s countries have made some improvements over the past decade, and 22 countries were identified to be on track to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if their trend continues at the same pace.

In light of these findings, WHO calls on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport such as walking, cycling and use of public transport  among other measures.

“Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice – it will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity,” said Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the WHO Unit for Physical Activity.

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